Mass Effect 3: Cataclysm
by NeonZangetsu
Summary: Javik wasn't the only thing sealed in stasis for Fifty Thousand Years. There was something else. Someone Else. Now, after years adrift, he just might be the key to winning the war against the reapers...and surviving. NarutoxLiaraxTali. Fluff! Epicness!
1. StAsIs

**A/N: I officially love Mass Effect! I severely disliked the ending, but after what I've just learned, there is hope! There's a TON of DLC on the way, spread out over periods of time, mind you, and I look forward to each of them. I won't reveal my source (lets just say I heard it from a friend of a friend of a friend) an Ima so happy! Now, I suggest you play the Ashes of War DLC for Mass Effect 3 before reading this...**

**...or you will be hopelessly baffled.**

_Never have I seen a finer avatar of bravery...and foolishness._

_~Javik._

**Stasis**

After a long and lengthy firefight, Cerberus had been driven from Eden Prime. Mostly. There were still squads scattered throughout the region, squads that could converge on their position at any given moment. All the more reason to pry open the pair of stasis pods that lay before them. They'd gone through a great deal to find and protect the pod from harm, both of them, but now, all of that effort was about to pay off. Two survivors were contained within these pods. Two survivors of a long forgotten race. About to be freed from stasis for the first time in fifty thousand years.

And Commander Shepard would be the one to do it.

"Are you ready, Shepard?" Liara Ts'oni asked.

"As I'll ever be."

"You sure we should be doing this?" James Vega, the third member of their squad, eyed each pod with wariness trepidation. "I get the feeling these guys might be more than a little cranky after we wake them up, ya know?"

"I appreciate your opinion James, but I'm opening them."

When all was said and done, Commander Shepard opened the pods. Yes. Pods. As in plural. As in more than one. Because there was not one. There was another, smaller pod, beside the first, the first being the larger of the two. Using the access code he'd managed to decipher through the visions, he opened them both. According to Liara, one stasis pod contained a Prothean. The other, well the ther contained something that was not a prothean. Weapons, perhaps?

There were two stasis pods.

Frome one, emerged the one they sought, the one he'd seen in his visions, The Prothean.

From the other emerged...something else.

The second entity was even stranger than the first. He looked almost_...human._ But that was impossible. _Absurd._ The human race was in its infancy during the days of the Prothean Empire. For this creature to be human was an impossibility. And yet he was just that. He wore armor like the Prothean, but it was clearly tailored towards that a humanoid creature might wear, and appropriate for his slim build.

His blue eyes were like an icy wind, carving a swathe of destruction through their very souls. His blond hair ragged, nearly obscuring his penetrating gaze. The whisker marks that tripled either cheek were more akin to deep furrows than whiskers for either side of his face; because as he opened his mouth to speak, a feral hiss fled from his lips like a creature chased from his den. He made several gestures, and when the landing party continued to gawp at him in amazement, he threw up his hands in exasperation.

The Prothean seemed a great deal more calm, and thus, Shepard conversed with him. His two squadmates however, James and Liara remained fixated on the unamused blond as he tried to extricate himself from his stasis pod. Tried, being the operative word. What happened was he somehow got tangled by his own two legs, effectively face-planting against the bulkhead. _Not gently._

He lay there for a moment, groaning piteously.

"He's actually kind of cute." Liara mused to herself as he picked himself up off the deck.

"I wouldn't call 'that' cute." James remarked, training his rifle on the blond. "Look at him! He's some kind of freak!" Liara had to admit as she looked upon him, he was indeed a little...odd, given his strong resemblance to the human race. In placement of his ears, a pair of orange_-orange!-_kitsune ears jutted just out of the yellow mane that was his hair. And if that weren't enough, if the ruined state of his black and crimson armor were not enough, there were the _tails._

_Nine of them._

The nine tails of orange fur emerging from just above his amor's backside port. They coiled about him, as if sensing his distress. He raised his hands and saw that they had become claws the fingernails having sharpened themselves into razor sharp edges. He stared at them, at himself, at them, and back at them again. He said nothing. They said nothing. There was a silence. He clacked his fingers together once, twice, three times, the sharpened nails emitting a strange, rhythymic hum as he forced them into a fist and back again.

He touched a hand to his head and shook it, as if to clear his mind of misbegotten memories.

_...what the hell happened?_ The last thing he remembered was the the sky, blackened with the Reapers. The pod. An explosion. A defiant snarl from somewhere outside. Then, only darkness. Sweet, blessed darkness. It felt like only yesterday. But it was not yesterday. He knew this, and yet he could not believe it. He'd awoken to a world changed. A world in which he was ancient. A world in which he should have been dead.

"Just what the hell is he?" James mumbled. "Wait...he is a he, right?" The soldier glanced to Liara for confirmation, as though he expected her to make sense out of this oddity standing before them. It was a small, feeble wish, and it was in vain.

Liara offered a shrug. She'd studied the Protheans, not whatever strange creature this was. He certainly looked to be male, but she couldn't be sure. Her species did have one gender after all, so she wasn't one to judge. Apparently, neither was Vega, because a rock bounced off his helmet. A rather large rock. Thankfully, the Lt. wasn't harmed by it, but his pride was his helmet

"Ow!" The soldier yelped, staggering backward. "Did you see that! He just threw a rock at me!"

"You might have deserved that one." Liara remarked, noting the smug satisfaction on the blonde's face

James nearly fell over.

_"#^%6&*!"_ the blond spat still more gibberish at them, his features twisted into a rictus of fury. Liara offered a shrug to show that she didn't understand. The stranger gave a strangle sound of exasperation and hefted another rock at James. He threw it, but this time, the boulder was accompanied by a sharp blast of biotics.

This time, Lieutenant Vega really did fall over.

The blond turned and barked something at the Prothean who, until moments ago, was conversing with the commander. Now the prothean approached, laying a hand upon the shoulder of its comrade before the blond could ellicitate further.

...ridiculous!" The blond finished exclaiming, whiping around to glare bloody red daggers at the two of them. "Where are the others, Javik! Why are they not here! Why are we confronted with these inferior species after so many years in stasis!"

"We are the only survivors, my friend." The prothean, now known as Javik, answered.

His companioned wailed.

"And still we are surrounded by these inferior species!"

"Hey!" James exclaimed! "Where do you get off saying that!"

"Silence, primate!" The hybrid snapped at him. "I meant what I said!"

"Inferior?" Liara took offense at that. "I-wait, you can understand us?"

The blond spat something that sounded a great deal like an alien obscenity and jerked his head in the direction of the Prothean.

"My friend has made it so that I can understand your languages...asari." He spat the word with venom.

"You'll excuse me if I take offense to that." Liara quipped dryly.

"And I take offense at you!" The strange hybrid glared at each of them in turn. "A human, and an asari! We find ourselves surrounded by primitive races! I suppose you'll want us to meet the Turians and the Hanar next?" His eyes flashed red for a moment, flickering between sapphire and scarlet and occasionally melding into violet. Liara marveled at it. Was this how his species conveyed their anger? Their emotional state? It was hard to believe that he was anything other than human...

"You're forgetting the Salarians." Liara admonished.

"The lizard people evolved?" The blond blinked quizically, his anger momentarily forgotten. He and the prothean exchanged a shared glance, one of surprise, disbelief, and just a bit of amusement. It was hard to believe that these two, so alien in species and race, were comrades in arms.

"I believe they're amphibian." Liara folded her arms before her chest.

"They used to eat flies." Javik, the prothean, remarked. He glanced sideways at his companion. Just as your kind once roamed the plain." The blond stiffened at that but would not honor him with a response.

"They used to eat...what?" Now it was James who struggled to contain his disbelief. Liara sympathized. But her amazement stemmed from something else entirely. From what the Prothean had just said, this being wasn't what she thought it was.

"You mean you're _not_ human?" Liara interjected, wide-eyed. "If you'll excuse me for asking, what species are you, exactly?" Unbidden, she reached out, stroking his ears. The prothean froze, a warning frozen on his lips. The hybrid's tails, all nine of them, reacted. Violently. They slapped her hand away, nearly breaking the asara's wrist. Liara hadn't realized what she'd done until she'd done it, and she winced at the the abrupt rebuttal. It wasn't her fault. Not realy. She'd just been so curious, and they'd looked so very soft and...and...

"Did you expect me to purr, asari?" The blond asked blandly. "Did you think me a common house pet?"

"I'm sure Liara didn't mean anything by it." Shepard inserted himself in their arguement. "I'm sorry if she's offended you in any way."

"As she should be." The hybrid alien growled at the asari before returning "You are the leader of this little band, I take it?" When Shepard nodded, a modicum of repsect could be seen in the alien's eyes, Liara noted. It wasn't far above disdain, but still, it was something.

"I'm Commander Shepard." He extended his hand. The hybrid glanced at him askance before pressing on.

"What race are you?" Liara blurted suddenly.

"Liara!" Shepard sighed in disbelief.

"I was only curious...

"Whatever race I was is no longer relevant." The blond snapped back, his inner-warrior assuming control. "I am Prothean. My race has served under the Prothean Empire since the days of old, just as I have since the day I was born." His eyes became wistful. "I am probably the last now...

The Prothean laid a hand on the hybrid's shoulder.

"You are not the last."

His words seemed to hearten the blond. He nodded, sucked in a breath, and pulled his arms behind his back. He straightened, and seemed to grow taller from it; drawing on a new source of strength to continue onward.

"Just how old are you, exactly?" Shepard asked.

The blond blinked.

"I am young, merely an infant in terms of my species." He answered, staring at the ground with a grimace of self-castigation. "I'm only five hundred years old."

James whistled.

"Damn."

Liara guffawed.

Five hundred?

He didn't look a day over twenty! But, goddess! Was he handsome! Wait, what? What was she thinking? She shook her head in an effort to clear it but to no avail. Her thought proccess remained clear, and yet it was suddenly muddled. Did she find this strange nameless alien to be attractive? Was he exuding hormones of some sort? No that was _silly_ and stupid. Dangerous.

"I know you've lost your people," Shepard began, "You must be grieving. But my people are dying right now. And I need your help. But it isn't safe here. Will the two of you join us?" Liara found herself hoping they would. Fervently so. Not just because she was looking at a real, living Prothean, but because of something else. She couldn't, quite put her finger on it, but it was something. She needed to look into this hormone idea. If this alien was indeed actively exuding hormones, even on a sub-concious level, then it would prove disastrous for the mission.

"You fight the Reapers?" The blond and the Prothean turned as one. They didn't even exchange a glance this time. They seemed to share consensus on such matters or so she thought. They certainly seemed to share a strong dislike of Lieutenant Vega.

"Yes." Shepard answered.

The Prothean seemed to consider this for a moment. Then he nodded.

"Then we will see."

"My name is Naruto." The blond identified himself. "And if Javik wishes to go with the human Commander, then so shall I."

**A/N: MWAHAHAHA! Just finished playing the new DLC for Mass Effect 3! It. Was. Awesome! That being said, the ending for THIS Mass Effect might be a tad bit different in this story, all things considered. I won't spoil anything for thos of you who have yet to play it. It is implied that Naruto either through some mishap or error on his own part, landed in the realm of the Protheans during the reaper invasion, or, and I really don't think this option is viable, he isn't human at all, as the soon to be used decision matrix might suggest. And if you will recall (excuse the spoiler!)as Javik said, during his time, all races called themselves Prothean when united under the empire. **

**Okay, explanation over.**

**And for those of you who think I can't finish a story to save my life...I JUST FINISHED THREE. TODAY! Eat it! Ahem. Rant over. If you like this story, have an idea or comment, or just like the idea in general, feel free to review! It goes a long way towards the creative proccess, believe me! It should be amusing to see how Naruto adapts to the "primitive" races hint hint wink wink...**

**R&R! =D**


	2. StOiC

**A/N: I officially love Mass Effect! I severely disliked the ending, but after what I've just learned, there is hope! There's a TON of DLC on the way, spread out over periods of time, mind you, and I look forward to each of them. I won't reveal my source (lets just say I heard it from a friend of a friend of a friend) an Ima so happy! Now, I suggest you play the Ashes of War DLC for Mass Effect 3 before reading this...**

**...or you will be hopelessly baffled.**

_He is young in the ways of the universe...and yet he knows more than any of you possibly could._

_~Javik._

**Stoic**

After a long and tedious process, Naruto and Javik were _finally_ brought aboard the Normandy. Both aliens were immediately ushered into the cargo bay where they were kept under armed guard and constant surveillance. Javik, for the most part, seemed to be content with this, consigning himself to meditation. Naruto broke out within the hour. He left the battered_-but still breathing-_bodies of the guards with Javik in the cargo hold, and contented himself to wander the lower reaches of the ship.

And that was when the klaxons went off.

_"Aaaargh!"_

They were sharp and piercing, sensitive to his ear. He'd always been susceptible to high pitched noises, now, moreso than ever. For all his tact, for all his skill, for all the greatly sheer _thickheadedness_ he'd gained over his long lifetime, there was simply nothing to be done about the high pitched squeals. It was shameful. He, was quite possibly the most powerful being in the galaxy. He'd once fought off an entire platoon of husk-like protheans_-the humans called them Collectors in this cycle_-beaten back a battalion a bunker full of the creatures, nearly destroyed a reaper with his bare claws in his second form!

And yet, for all his strength, he was rendered nearly powerless by the deafening reverberations pounding around his skull. It was maddening. This was the weakness given for the power he'd received over the years. Any sound could irk him, but only the truly deafening ones, such as the klaxxons, truly provoked him. They evoked the flaskbacks too, the painful flickers of memory that continued to plague him since his emergence from stasis.

If Javik was suffering from such symptoms, then he'd done precious little to show it. Likely he was being interrogated by the commander and her asari even now. Rather than anger, the thought provoked a dark amusement in him. Javik was never one for small talk. The Prothean's were a warrior race, and while he did not share their means of any communication through touch per se, he boasted an ability far more fearsome than those of his Prothean master's.

Naruto, could shape shift. He preferred his basic humanoid form, but when the time called for it, he, as with other members ofhis race, assumed a different form entirely. One easily capable of tearing any earthbound Reaper to shreds. No one save Javik knew of this talent and he intended to keep it that way. The better to surprise the Reapers when he encountered them again. But fifty thousand years in stasis had left his senses sensitive. Prone to distraction and overeaction.

Hence the violent hiss as he stormed into the elevator and clamped both hands ove rhis ears. He rode it to the third floor, where the alarm was muted, but still present. He did not care. He wanted nothing more than to to get away from the irritable bleeting that had crewmen and crewomen alike scrambling to their stations. Some of them shot him a sideways glance as he stormed past them. Then they saw his fangs and their defiance wilted. Naruto might have found it funny, were he not in so much pain.

Harraunged by the incessant din, he exited the elevator and sough refuge in the first place he could find. Unfortunately, or fortunately depending on another's view, that just so happened to be Dr. T'soni's office.

He hadn't been searching for it of course; he simply wanted to acclimitate himself with the ship and its crew. While he had yet to encounter commander Shepard, he'd been able to gleam that their next destination was the planet Palaven, home to the Turian Hierarchy. _Turians._ The very thought made his lip curl in disgust. The great prothean empire was extinct, and now, the galaxy was ruled over by the lesser races.

So consumed was he in his thoughts, so consumed in his desire to get away from that damnable sound, he nearly bowled the poor woman over. As it was, he collided with the force of sledgehammer. Liara flew. Literally. For a moment he feared the worst; but he needn't have worried. A subtle glow suffused the asari's skin as she flung her arms out, slowing her sudden flight. When her feet touched the deck, she was in control of her momentum once more. Her emotions...

...not so much.

"Oh!" The asari cried out in surprise as she saw the one responsible for her collision. "I-I wasn't expecting you."

"Nor I you." Naruto answered. The alarms were softer here. Muted. She must've mistook his silence for something other than what it was; because she moved aside, allowing him passage into her cabin. The hybrid did his level best to conceal his relief as the door hissed shut behind them, effectively sealing off the pounding alarms that besieged his brain.

"You have questions for me, asari." It was a statement not a question, spoken through thin, pursed lips. In that instant, he watched a change comer over her. She folded both arms defensively under her breasts, one leg crossing over the other, her body resting against the rim of her console. She could not control her eyes, however. A strange fervor could be seen in those pale, luminous orbs, fixated solely upon him. She was eager to speak with him. He sensed this. He'd come here seeking shelter and instead found what he did not wish to find; a chatty asari with a hunger for knowledge. And her words only confirmed it.

"You might say that, yes." she whispered.

Naruto repressed a sigh. He would answer her questions then. Just until that damnable nose died down outside their cabin.

"Ask then, asari."

"I have a name." Liara persisted.

Naruto sniffed the air. Ah, yes. Most species preffered to be called by their given title, or name. He'd been named Naruto based on the tides on his home planet, a planet that once housed such vibrant life...now little more than ruins in the wake of the destruction of his people. But now was not the time for sorrow. He pushed these feelings aside as he turned toward the asari, inclining his head in what could be called a bow.

"My apologies then, Dr. T'soni." He straightened. "Ask, and I will do my best to answer."

"Alright," Liara began, her gaze straying to the south. "Are they real?" He followed her gaze and quirked an eyebrow. She was staring a the tails. He'd kept them rigid against his back prior to entering the office, but now, they lay slack on the floor behind him. What was it about his biology that fascinated the asari so? You'd think she'd never seen a member of his race before. Oh. Right. She hadn't.

"Do not touch the tails." Naruto answered sternly.

"I won't." Liara reassured him, stealing a glance at his ears.

"Good. Because if you touch them without my permission_...I will kill you."_ Naruto doubted she would disobey his earlier edict, but he rather enjoyed the subtle look of panic as it flashed through the eyes of the asari scientist. It vanished as quickly as it came. She was in control of herself, once again. Strong woman, this one. Her enthusiasm knew no bounds and had he been a younger man, he might have found it endearing. As it was, he just found her naieve.

"I may have said the same to Javik, but I' written over a dozen studies on the Protheans species, I've published in several journals and-

"Amusing." The hybrid remarked, disdain slipping into his thoughts and words, "Asari have finally mastered writing."

Liara looked crestfallen.

"I'm sorry?"

"Javik said the same thing...

Naruto blinked at Liara.

"I am sorry."

Liara's head snapped up like a spring.

"Oh, no!" She waved her hands emphatically. "There's no need for you to apologize!You've done nothing wrong! It's just...the two of you seem so alike at times...and yet you aren't even the same species, and here she held up a hand to forestall the arguement that all races considered themselves Prothean under the empire. "

"Nevermind." He said. "What do you wish to know?"

Liara practically _bounced,_ such was her glee.

"Yes, I've always wondered. What sort of government did you have? And can you tell me about your religous beliefs? Or perhaps the-

Then came the questions. She asked many of them. She asked of his government, of his people, even his religious beliefs were made circumspect. He answered them as best he could, shortly when necessary, lengthy when not. Did he have any siblings? Yes. A sister, named Yugito and a nephew whose name translated to "Gaara" in their language primitive though it was. Each, alongside the rest of his race, had supposedly perished when the bunker had fallen. He held out little hope that their stasis pods were still itnact after all this time. Had he faced the Reapers in the past. Yes. Did he combat them? Yes. Did defeat any of them? Yes.

How.

This was a question he would not answeer.

"If you don't mind I have a few more questions I'd like to ask." Liara said.

"Enough." Naruto shook his head, pinching his nose. "You have asked me many questions and I grow weary. Let us end our discussion for today, Dr. T'soni. " He took three steps forward and seized her by the shoulders. He felt the beginnings of a biotic warp working its way up his arm when he leaned forward and did the unthinkable. He kissed her. The asari froze, and for a moment, he tasted a charge on his lips as he pulled away.

"W-W-What was that for?" she sputtered at him, her cheeks flaring violet in a blush.

"Mucosal contact is how my kind impart our knowledge." Another slow blink as he wiped at his lip. "It works both ways."

"I...see." Liara blinked rapidly, her eyelids fluttering as she struggled to process the information. "You share the same ability as Javik."

"I do not." Naruto argued. "His kind impart knowledge with touch. Mine offer their emotions. It is not the same." He folded his arms before the rigid planes of his chest, daring her to object. When she did not, he permited himself a small smile. If you think that is strange, then you should see my kind when they commence mating ritual." He'd meant it to come across as factual, but somehow he'd lost the good doctor in translation.

"Are you making a pass at me?" Liara's voice tumbled to a soft whisper.

Naruto's face crumpled as he fought another wave of disdian. Lie with her? Preposterous! Protheans did not mate beneath themselves! And even if he wasn't Prothean by that color of his skin, he certainly wasn't the type to bed a vixen only hours after they first met. Besides, he doubted the commander would take kindly to one of the few remaining Prothean people to engage in sexual intercourse with one of her closest friends. So instead he settled for a flat sounding:

"You are but an infant compared to me." Naruto retorted. "Your race fumbles about in the dark, knowing nothing, seeing nothing, and all the while the Reapers close in around you." He gave her a hard blink. "Your kind did not heed our warnings and now, it may be too late. He indicated her with a shake of his head. "My commander has already seen this eventuality. But I _will_ help you fight."

"I'm...sorry, there's just so much I want to ask you...studying your history has been a lifelong passion of mine."

Naruto couldn't quite keep the smile from his face as the door slid open, and not just because there was blessed silence on the other end. Liara was eager. A bit jaded perhaps in the ways of the world but her thirst for knowledge remained pure as snow. He could respect that. Rare was it for one of these lesser beings to be able to conjur in him such an emotions as this. But that eas another story for another time.

"Another time then, Liara T'soni."

"Yes, I'd like that."

And with that, he was gone.

Leaving Liara to wonder what in Goddess's name had just happened.

**A/N: MWAHAHAHA! Just finished playing the new DLC for Mass Effect 3! It. Was. Awesome! That being said, the ending for THIS Mass Effect might be a tad bit different in this story, all things considered. I won't spoil anything for thos of you who have yet to play it. It is implied that Naruto either through some mishap or error on his own part, landed in the realm of the Protheans during the reaper invasion, or, and I really don't think this option is viable, he isn't human at all, as the soon to be used decision matrix might suggest. And if you will recall (excuse the spoiler!)as Javik said, during his time, all races called themselves Prothean when united under the empire. **

**Okay, explanation over.**

**And for those of you who think I can't finish a story to save my life...I JUST FINISHED THREE. TODAY! Eat it! Ahem. Rant over. If you like this story, have an idea or comment, or just like the idea in general, feel free to review! It goes a long way towards the creative proccess, believe me! It should be amusing to see how Naruto adapts to the "primitive" races hint hint wink wink...**

**R&R! =D**


	3. StAtIc

**A/N: I AM ALIVE! Hurricane Sandy beat the crap out of the east coast, but somehow I'm still here. And I still have power! Imagine that! New Jersey has been wrecked, from Barnaget Bay all the way down to Toms River. Staten Island is flooded. Power outages still run rampant. And yet in spite of all that, I'm still here. I live neither here nor there, and am thankfulllly a tad further inland, but my thoughts and prayers go out to all those who are suffering in this terrible time nonetheless. Why? Because they're people just like us! If you can find it in your heard please, donate to the relief effort who so desperately needs it!**

**And with that, I proudly present you with...**

**...the next chapter of Cataclysm!**

_"Your species is...strange."_

_~Naruto._

**StAtIc**

"No." the word was as flat as it was baritone, simplistic in its meaning. Yet there could be no mistaking the anger contained within that single syllable. He stood before them, arms folded across the crimson carapace of his armor, unflinching, unblinking. His very posture screamed defiance. Scarlet orbs locked with those of Shepard; red eyes blazing into brown with fierce vehemence. The hot-headed blond had just been given a direct order and, unsurprisingly, he refused to obey. His very body vibrated with tension; as though there were a great beast lurking within him, itching to tear its way out. Liara couldn't much blame him for his anxiety. After being in stasis for so many years, his disposition was only natural.

They were nearly upon Palaven now, streaking toward its moon as the turian fleet fought and failed to hold off the enemy advange ravaging their homeworld. Their ships were torn like paper mashey before the enemy's superior firepowe; unable to withstand more than a mere moment of punishment. The Normandy flitted through the chaos and destruction like an unseen angel; ignored by the larger ships both friendly and enemy alike as the former strove to protect their precious planet. The hull bucked briefly as a nearby explosion rattled her Mass Effect Core. They'd have to land, and soon.

Provided this arguement ever ended.

"My answer is no." Naruto repeated, heedless of the swaying deck beneath his feet. "I will _not_ stay inside the ship, not while Reapers abound outside." His gaze slipped past Shepard and locked upon Liara. "I'm coming with you and there's not a thing you can do to sop me." Liara squirmed uncomfortably beneath his gaze feeling like prey in the prescence of a predator; as though the slightest movement would give her away. She was relieved, therefore, when it glided past her to observe the crew on the bridge. Mere moments ago they'd been calm, complacent, organized, even. Now, a few of the men and women, risked glances at their commander and the newcomer, idly wondering if this standoff would come to a head.

Everything had spiralled hopelessly out of control once the alien blond caught wind of the invasion on Palaven.

"You still haven't recovered-

"I'm coming." Naruto's angry affimation overrode the human's patient, placating tone. "You have no say in the matter."

"As am I." Javik's accented authoratative voice seconded as he joined them on the bridge. Naruto flashed his pearly whites in a rare grin toward his comrade; his first true sign of mirth since boarding the Normandy. "If there are Reapers here, then we will fight them." Four sets of eyes swiveled toward the prothean. Where had he been all this time? For the last hour he'd secured himself in the cargo hold. Now he was here as if he had always been.

"What would your mate think of your weakness?" Naruto challenged at Shepard. "Your inability to trust belittles her, commander."

Shepard bristled, and Liara knew at once his thoughts were with Lieutenant Ashley Williams. Reunited on earth only to be separated again by the machinations of Cerberus; their LT currently resided in a hospital bed in the Citadel's medical bay. The Asari saw and recognized the haunted look in those stern blue eyes knowing that the man still thought of his lover even now; her battered and bruised face would remain etched deep into Shepard's memory forevermore. His inability to protect her would likely haunt him until the day of her recovery.

"How do you know about her?" Liara blurted out, cursing herself even as the words left her lips. Crimson eyes snapped toward and fixated upon her, pinnioning the asari with a gaze. Liara felt trapped, within that stare; ensnared by those eerie shades of scarlet. Naruto stared at her intently, mouth pressed into a thin line. His mouth. His lips._ Oh Goddess, his lips!_ The memory of their kiss crashed down over her like a wave, drawing a faint violet flush to her cheeks. Unable to muster her courage to meet the blonde's scrutiny, Liara tore her gaze aside.

"Did I not tell you my kind read emotions?" The blond reminded her. "At this moment, your commander's libido is lit up like a skylight." For a moment it looked as though he might add to that, but a sly smile pulled his lips upward instead. Once more he turned from the Asari to regard the brooding earthling standing before her.

"She is important to you, I trust?" Everyone knew he spoke of Ashley.

Shepard's silence spoke volumes.

"I will heal her, then." Naruto offered. "Allow me to join you on Palaven and I will allow her to rejoin the fight."

"You cannot!" Surprisingly, Javik was the one to object. "I will not allow you to halve your lifespan for the sake of a human!"

Liara half-expected Naruto to bristle at the unexpected remark; instead he merely shrugged.

"It is my life; I shall do with it as I please." If he was at all alarmed by the sudden josting of the Normandy as it entered the moon's atmosphere, he did little to show it. "Now...

...shall we depart?

* * *

><p>The reapers had arrived in force.<p>

They were everywhere, even here, on Palaven's moon. Husks swarmed the grounds in blitzkrieg fashion uncaring for the bullets ripping into their synthetic flesh. Drones blackened the skies, raining hellfire down upon battered bunkers and beleagured soldiers, their incessant buzz wailing through the air as they shot down scores upon scores of fighters. There were even a pair of Reapers towering in the distance. Turians fought and screamed and died, their weapons unable to put even the smallest dent in their enemies advance. Such was the hell into which the shuttle descended.

Naruto shouldered his way off the shuttle first, muttering an apology as his shoulder brushed against Liara's back and his hand her waist, his fingers unintentionally grazing the white fabric just below her hip. _Ba-dump._ That touch, that single, unassuming touch, sent shivers shooting through Liara's body, leaving her weak with wanton want and sudden need. _Oh dear._ It would seem she'd been right about the hormones, after all. That, or a lingering attraction had begun to develop between the two of them...

"My apologies, Liara."

_**?!**_

He'd actually used her name!

The asari fumbled for a response as his words lingered in her ears, taunting her, mocking her. She struggled to formulate up a reply that wouldn't make her look and sound like a dithering schoolgirl, but the kitsue was already gone. Striding off the ramp and toward a small bluff in the distance. Between him and his new destination stood a horde of husks, humans harvested by reapers, forced to become mindless, unthinking synthetic abominations. Bullet-sponges, they called them. Nothng short of multiple shots to the head and/or body would put them down. And Naruto didn't so much as have a piece on him! Liara watched, gobsmacked, unable to believe her eyes as the alien smacked his gauntlets together producing a hollow _clang._ As one the husks raised their heads, alerted by the sound. A sibilant hiss tore through the air; she had no way of knowing whether it was the blond or the husks; only that the former raised his armored arms, ready to wade into the thick of things.

Despite her earlier admission, he'd elected to remain without weapons. What the hell was he thinking? Hand-to-hand combat was outright suicide. He'd be mobbed within mintues! She raised her SMG and sighted down the barrel, ready to provide support, but a three-fingered hand forced the weapon down. _Javik._ The ancient alien maintained the grip on her wrist, shaking his large head when she offered a small sound of confusion. He almost seemed...amused?

"Watch." The prothean commanded.

_"What?"_

Shepard seemed to share in her perplexity, giving voice to the obvious question:

"Shouldn't we help him?"

Javik gave a low chortle.

"You would be in the way, commander."

Six pairs of eyes_-four of which belonged to Javik-_came to rest upon Naruto. He stood alone againt the husks, his advance slowing to a crawl as the throng of synthetic abominations swarmed him. Alone, but not unable to fend for himsef. Crimson crackled from the blonde's fingertips at their approach, sinister shades of scarlet boiling outward from his body like steam. Biotics. Liara could _feel_ the raw energy in the air, the first surge of biotic power witnessed since the events of Eden Prime. Naruto raised his hand as the first husk leapt at him, jaw agape, curled his fingers into a fist, clenched it, and brought said fist crashing down to the ground. _Hard._

Palaven's moon erupted.

The soi was the blood and the earth, and the blood spilled.

Clenched knuckels powered through the husk's gaping orifice, tearing through its open mouth with a wet, squelching sound. Momentum mashed it to the ground, and cold fury burned the word white. Wave upon waves of vermillion light burst forward from the point of impact as the earth cratered, laying into the throng of writhing bodies like a thing alive; reducing them to so much ashes as the searing surge of crimson swept through and past them. Liara felt her skin prickle, risin in gooseflesh as the crimson tide scorched overhead, narrowly missing them.

"Point taken." Shepard admitted, albeit reluctantly. If the blond could pulverize horde's of husks and shatter soil with a swing of the fist...well, he certainly wasn't going to stand in his way! Naruto cocked his head aside as the last of his enemies crumbled to dust, listening. Liara was tempted once more to scratch his earsas they approached, but remembered the blonde's warnings and drew back at the very last instant. She valued her hand! It was just as well; because the moment they drew within shouting distance, Naruto began to chuckle. It started low in his throat; a soft ruble gradually working its way up the ranks. Liara suddenly felt like she'd laugh as well, and carefully suppressed the urge. Goddess, what was wrong with her?

Naruto threw back his head and laughed; it was a deep, throaty sound.

"This!" He cackled, gleeful in his exuberance, "This is just like before, isn't it, Javik?!" His gaze swung to the Prothean, orbs flickering from sapphire to scarlet; azure and crimson and back again. "War...we can go back to war now! Except this time its not just the two of us...its _soooo_ much more!" His eyes swept over Liara, ravaging her body like hot coals. The asari shrank back in fear. What maddness! He was so...so different! Gone was the calm yet cold exterior; in its place was something else; an almighty entity that delighted in blood and chaos and destruction.

"How can you possibly enjoy this?" Liara was horrified! How could anyone enjoy this?! "You...you're a monster!"

_"A monster?"_

And just like that, Naruto was calm again.

"Your people know _nothing_ of war, asari." His features hardened as his eyes glided shut; when he opened them again those gentle blue orbs were more akin to winter ice than the afternoon skies for which Palaven was so well known. He raised his hand for empty air, beckoning. Liara's stomach lurched as a tendril of crimson light stretched from his fingertips and yanked another husk out of from cover; and...there was nothing human about this one. If there was ever a turian husk, tan this was it. Its face was a mottled messk of wires and metal mesh, the gun clutched between its fingertips nearly as sinister as its form. Naruto beckoned again, eyes agleam with sinsiter intent. The ravager lurched forward, drawn by the red string tied around its throat.

Drawn to Naruto.

His fingers seized upon the ravager's skull, those eerie, blood red claws closing around its still squirming face with eerie intent. The reaper creature shrilled surprise and fired its gun but to no avail; the bullets riocheted off the blonde and his shields as though he were forged of sheer durasteel. The alien gave a sole, singular grunt and squeezed, pulping the husk's skull between his slim fingers. He brushed the gore away from his visge with nary even a grunt, smiling softly to himself, reveling in the bloodshed.

"Shall we continue, commander?" He inquired pleasantly.

"Not until you explain what the hell that was!"

"I rather like war." Naurto smiled, his words modulated to a darkened glee. "No," he corrected himself, "I _love_ war. I love the smell of gunfire on an open plain. The sensation of blood, dripping down my skin. The sound of my opponent's final climax; their death rattle as I squeeze the life from their veins." He touched two fingers to his eyes, clucking softly to himself. "The sight of an enemy's throat is _sooo_ sensual, crushed beneath my boot." He flung both hands before the battlefield at their backs, uncaring for the reapers in the distance. "Don't you agree, Shepard?!" His voice rose in pitch almost euphoric in it delight. "You've brought me back to the glorious battlefield after all these years! You've given me the chance to fight! To kill! To-

He would've continued, had not a deafening bass not boomed within their ears. Apparently Naruto's little rampage had drawn the attention of a nearby reaper; the massive construct was plodding towards them, its core pulsating brightly as it sighted down the organics that dared defy it.

"Goddess!" Liara yelped! "How are we going to deal with that?!"

Javik's only response was to shoulder his rifle.

"We have a weapon of our own." His gaze slipped to Naruto; the blonde's blue orbs were blazing on the massive metal monolith in the distance. Naruto gave the reaper a good, long look. And then he smiled. It was not a pleasant thing, that smile. He reached up to the gauntlets shackling his wrists: slowly and methodically dismantling them. He bent double, and made as if to remove his armour, but a squeak of surprise rootted him in place. Three pairs of eyes turned toward the culprit; Doctor Liara T'soni.

"N-Naruto!" She sputtered her surprise at the blond. "What do you think you're doing?!"

"I am removing my armour, asari." Came the deadpanned response.

"I'm perfectly aware of that!" Liara was also _perfectly_ aware of her own voice, rising in pitch_-a regretttable feat that occurred whenever she was distressed_-however, her humiliation remaind further overidden by her ire, as well as her own inability to understand the situation. "Why are you stripping?"

"Because it would be painful for me to chance, were I not to remove my armour. " Naruto said, his voice deep and silken. Liara couldn't help but shiver. Goddess! She needed to have a full medical evaluation once they returned to the Normandy. She was certain he'd done something to her with that kiss!

"Change into what?" she forced herself to ask.

Naruto chuckled.

_"This."_ When he spoke, his words were scarcely more than a phantom's whisper. Abruptly his eyes bulged so large Liara was certain they'd fall right out of his head. He doubled over, his body consumed with a series of gut-wrenching snaps, crackles, and pops (Ignore the pun lol) as though something deep within his stomach were struggling to escape. As one, his nine tails stood erect, bristling from end to crimson end. The softest chortle fled his lips, like a proud predator slinking out of its den in search of prey.

"What's happening to him?!" Shepard demanded to know.

"I suggest you stand back, Commander. You as well, Asari." Javik advised, those eerie, golden orbs of his betraying nothing but the utmost of confidence. "You are unlikely to be in danger, however..

And then Uzumaki Naruto began to change. There could be no other word for it. His physical form simply ceased to be; armour shattering like so much glass, his human skeleton warping, _twisting_ as he grew to obscene heights. His flesh rippled like clay, sloughing off him as his body sprouted crimson fur. His teet, already deadly incissors, grew larger and wide, his skull sloughing back, ears falling flat against his head. From here, Liara could barely stand to look at his shadow; the sight of the transformation was so horrific.

It was almost as if the beast had been there from the beginning, lurking just below the surface, wearing flesh and skin as its guise. Liara choked back a gasp as the towering kitsune bounded away from them, dragging a massive paw past, digging deep gouges into the moon's soil with its claws. An earth-shattering roar tore its way across the battlefield, terrifying turian and husk alike as the great demon tore towards its prey with an almost reckless abandon, utterly uncaring for the allies left in its wake.

"What the hell?!" Shepard guffawed. "That thing's massive!"

Naruto, no, the_ monster Naruto had become,_ sank its fangs into the reaper's armored shell. Fangs that should have been deflected by the metal carapace drove deep instead, shearing through wires and steel as though they were so naught but paper. The reaper bleated its surprise; it hadn't been expecting such an attack to piece it, nor its shields. It thrashed in the kitsune's grip, a searing line of crimson streaking upward from within its core and toward the monster's head. Too little too late. A massive tail slapped the reaper across its shell, leaving its laser to lance harmlessly into a faraway mountain. And then it was over.

Nine tails of pure crimson coiled about its legs, dragging the reaper to the soil with the force of an almighty earthquake. Before it could hope to rise and continue the fight, the great fox pounced, tearing it into with fang and claw and tail eviscerating the massive metal monolith with ease despite its best efforts to break free. Naruto opened its mouth, a ball of black light already gathered within its mighty maw, growling larger with each passing second.

"I believe he called that the Bijudama." Javik observed, the tiniest touch of smugness, and perhaps terror, in his tone. Liara looked on in silent horror as the world burned black and white, as the reaper crumbled like so much dust and detriment beneath the all-encompassing wave of destruction. A wall of white lifted them all from their feet and flung them to the floor. The reaper...not so much. Its shell blackened beneath the energiies of the bijudama, rusting and falling apart as the towering kitsune looked on, thrust its head back, and howled at the burning planet above their heads. Uzumaki Naruto was on the loose. At long last, he had returned, an indefatigable spetre of dread that would crush everything synthetic.

Liara almost felt sorry for the reapers...

_...almost, but not quite._

**A/N: Wow, it has been awhile hasn't it? In that time we've seen some new DLC kicked our way, Leviathan, (which I have yet to play) and the extended cut, which was very much needed, and yet, still oddly dissatisfying. I mean, suuuuure add a few new scenes. No new gameplay whatsoever. Everyone will LOVE that. Ah, I'm ranting aren't I. Anywho with the horror that is Hurricane Sandy now past, I can keep writing.I can also say that I support ShepardxAshley, at least in this story. Liara is right, Naruto's prescence-and perhaps that kiss-is having an adverse effect on her. Naruto is, after all, not quite altogether there in this fic; alternating between periods of callous calm and maddening fury. We'll return to cannon as next chapter, with Naruto wreaking havoc as evern, an of course, Garrus will finally appear!**

**But enough about fiction! Back to reality! Get out there and vote, people! It's election day! We won't have another one for quite awhile! So, in the immortal words of Atlas...**

**...review, (and vote!) would ya kindly?**

**R&R! =D**


	4. Lies of Succession

**A/N: Wow. I had no idea the last chapter would be so well received! I imagine the idea of the Kyuubi tearing the shit out a reaper must've been pretty fun to imagine, ne? I know I've been away from this story for a while (far too long in my opinion) but as you can see I've taken to updating again, and this was next on my list. You can expect an update for Sentinel after this, but hey that isn't why you're here now, is it? No! You're here for the next chapter! And I, am proud to give it to you! And with that...**

**...I present you with the next chapter of Cataclysm!**

_"The great questions of the day will not be settled by means of speeches and majority decisions. But by iron...and blood."_

_~Otto von Bismarck._

**Lies of Succession**

Genereal Corinthus and his men were left consumed by shock, awe and hearstopping _terror_ in the wake of the reaper's destruction. Shock; because they'd just witnessed the inexplicable; a reaper touching down no more than a few mile from their camp. Awe; because no sooner had said reaper set foot upon Palaven's moon than it was immediately been set upon by a giant crimson fox. A. Giant. Crimson. Fox. Teeth the size of skyscrapers, eyes the colors of oceans of blood. Tails that savaged mountains and split the sky itself, paws that forced the very soil itself to quiver in fear and subservience.

Those great, glinting fangs sank into the the reaper's impenetrable shell like a hot knife through butter. Those streaming tails of sinister scarlet seized the synthetic's hulking form and dragged it to the ground as though it weighed no more than a feather. Slavering jaws creaked open, with a sibilant hiss; revealing a spiralng spgere of onyx and oblivion trappend beyond, growing in size with each passing instant. Nine tails of unwavering fur held the synthetic down, pinning it in place while its demise drew ever nearer. When the luminous orb reached roughly half the size of their moon, the demon fox let loose; blaring into the reaper with a deafening knell, a deadly bell tolling the synthetic's demise.

When all was said and done there was nothing left of the ravaged reaper; nothing save a charred husk in an equally charred crater. Some raised their weapons and cheered at the unexpected death of the synthetic; still others were less than optimistic in the prescence of what they perceived to be a new threat.

Yet why did they feel terror in the prescence of their saviour? Well, they felt terror; because said fox was now padding toward them, baring row upon row of jagged teeth in an equally hearstopping grin. Several soldiers fainted straight away, the rest threw down their weapons and cowered in outright fear. Anyone-anything-that could take down a reaper was something to be feared; certainly not something to be fired upon! Scarred, an hardened veterans quivered in their boots as the almighty beast disgorged the last of the reapers remains, and, apparently satisfied with its kill, stormed towards them.

Everyone looked on, horrified as the great kitsune padded away from the reaper's ashes, clearing the barricade as though it were naught but a stick in its path. It glowered down at them, taking in their camp with those blood-red eyes, as though contemplating whether or not to devour these mere morsels.

And then, as if at some unseen command, the fox started to shrink. Its great gory coat shriveled up, crimson fur receding into its skeleton as its frame began to bend and twist. Becoming more and more humanoid with each passing instant. A heartbeat later and it was smaller still, crimson tail falling loose and flat upon the soil, snout receding into the likeness of a human skull. Before long a gasping man stood there in its place, naked as the day he'd been born. He remained as such for a moment, resting on his hands and knees, knuckles dragging across before he hauled himself to his feet.

He stod there before them, arms folded before his chest, uncaring for his nakedness. Blue eyes like winter skies surveyed the damaged camp with a frightening complacency, taking each in, and dismissing them one by one. Crimson tails swirled forth from his bare backside, covering him without the slighest care in the world. His eyes drifted shut for a hairsbreadth and suddenly it was there; crimson armour rippling forth from his very flesh, sheathing his body in a sinister shade of scarlet.

With some semblance of normalcy restored, the general promptly began issuing orders.

"Tobestik, get your men up on that norther barricade! Sergreant Bartus, find a way to get that comm tower operational!"

"Sir!"

As his men left to tend to their tasks, the general found himself face to face with the very creature who'd saved his men. The crimson warrior stared at him, pinnioning him with a gaze that left the turian commander all but shivering. Those crimson orbs were cold-nay they were beyond that. _They were empty._ Devoid of any emotion save anger and even that was now sorely lacking. It was as if his only purpose in life was to destroy, to exact vengeance upon those who had made him, to be for what he was; a monster, demon, devil. None of these words could hope to describe the creature standing before him; none could lend meaning to his existence and so General Corinthus didn't bother.

"If you keep staring at me," Naruto frowned, "You're going to piss me off, ya know?"

Corinthus wasn't quite sure how he ought to respond to that, but in the end he never had the chance. Because instead of confronting him the blond abruptly turned aside making way for a face that nearly everyone this side of the galaxy knew. Saviour of the Citadel, killer of the collectors, if the N7 on his armour didn't distinguish him from the others, nothing else could.

"General?"

"Commander Shepard." The avian-like alien inclined his head curtly. "Heard you were coming but I didn't believe it myself. General Corinthus," he introduced himself with another nod, his gaze slidding across to Naruto a hairsbreadth, later appraising the hybrid. "Interesting friend you have there. We could've used him a few days ago." Shepard managed a wan smile in the same instant that the hybried supplied the turian general with a rather ferocious grin.

"Just point me at the Reapers, turian. I'll end your little ground war within the hour."

General Corinthus frowned.

"Cocky, isn't he?"

"He has every reason to be." Javik was suddenly at the commander's elbow, flanking him with a frown. "He was born and bred to be superior."

_"Bred?"_

Corinthus exchanged a glance with Shepard.

"Just be glade he's on our side." the commander reassured. "Regardless, we're here for primarch Fedorian."

There was a tense silence as the general took his fingers away from the command console.

"Primarch Fedorian is dead. His shuttle was shot down an hour ago as it tried to leave the moon."

Shepard heaved a sigh.

"That's gonna complicate things." Another tremor rocked the base camp; the sounds of fighting piquing in the distance. "How bad is it, general?"

"We just lost about four hundred men in half an hour. We set up camps on this moon as an advance position, to flank the enemy. A sound strategy just...

...irrelevant." Shepard finished, knowing full well that it was damn near impossible to flank the hulking synthetics.

"Exactly." Corinthus agreed. "The sheer orce of the reapers seems to make them immune to that sort of tactic." Behind the cartilege his eyes seemed to harden, casting about the command map as though the answers to their problems could somehow be found there. "The primarch and his men found that out the hard way."

"I'm sorry." the commander apologized, his expression softening in sympahty, "I hear he was a good man."

"And a friend." the general answered. "He would've been an outsanding diplomat."

"So what happens now?" Shepard cast about for an answer, one Liara was all too willing to provide.

"Well, the turian hierarchy provides very clear lines of of succession-

_"Enough of this!"_

Liara started in surprise; she'd been so wrapped up in her CO's conversation that she'd forgotten all about the brooding prothean standing behind her. Naruto and Javik had maintained their silence thus far, but it would seem that the former had finally exhausted the last vestiges of his patience.

"I am tired of this meaningless talk!" Elbowing his way to the front of the group, Naruto slammed both hands down upon the holographic table and brought himself eye-to-eye with the turian general. "Do you or do you not have a primarch for us to retrieve?!"

"Our communications are down." Corinthus explained, refusing to flinch in the heat of the hybrid's ire. "If we restore them, I might be able to contact Palaven High Command and learn who the next primarch is-

_"Bah!"_

Naruto snarled in exasperation and paced away from the turians, crimson tails snapping angrily after him. Shepard gave Javik a long look, to which the prothean simply shrugged. If he was at all concerned by this most recent ouburst from his comrade, he did precious little to show it.

"It appears he is not content to wait, commander."

"I-I'll get him." Liara volunteered, cursing herself for her stammer. She darted after Naruto, weaving past the occasional turian as the blond rapidly outpaced her. Goddess! Was he always this fast? She watched him try to hang a right, only to be met with the perimitier wall; five seconds later, there was no wall. Wary, she ventured out into the opening after him; silently thankful no husks were there to greet her. The blond had slowed his pace, allowing her to close the distance between them.

"Fools, the lot of them!" He was mumbling when Liara finally reached him. "Primitives! They should be taking the fight to the reapers and dying with glory! Not cowering behind their bulkheads and waiting for the end to suss them out in their bunks! Cowards! They sit and talk and babble with their precious politics when they should be out there eradicating the enemy!"

"Naruto?"

The hybrid kept walking, oblivious to her words.

"Ingrates, imbeciles...

_"Naruto!"_

He began to distance himself from her once again, either unable to hear, or simply unwilling to care. Belatedly, Liara realized they were headed in the direction of the comm tower Corinthus had specified. While she did not feat for Naruto's safety-he'd already demonstrated his ability to take down husks and marauders-she was fearful for herself. She did not welcome the idea of facing a horde of husks alone, with an uncaring prothean to guard her flank.

"Naruto!" She shouted at his back, her voice piquing in distress. "Wait! You musn't go that way!"

"..."

_Goddess!_

Exasperated, Liara reached out with her biotics and yanked him to a stop with a quick biotic _pull._ The effects were as immediate as they were unpredictable; because, instead of bringing the biotic hybrid to a halt, Liara realized too late her mistake; instead of slowing him, she had released a veritable hurricane.

_She'd give the man an excuse to vent_.

Naruto rounded on her with a hiss, biotics flaring; and Liara abruptly found herself flattened against the nearest bulkhead. At first she balked. Then she gasped. Gasped, as she felt the first vestiges of pain, searing into her veins, flooding her body with liquid fire. It was as if a giant's hand had clamped down upon her throat and trachea, driving the breath from her lungs and body, depriving her of strength and much needed oxygen. A starburst of white-hot agony exploded across her vision, sapping her willpower, denying her the focus needed to retaliate with her own biotics.

"That was unwise, asari." Liara became dimly aware of the hybrid's voice speaking to her beyond her field of vision, but whatever else he might's said was lost on her. Any and all attempts to extricate herself were met with fierce resistance, crushing her down against the unyielding steel with unrelenting force. She could feel her joints beginning to pop, her muscles screaming-tearing-as her body ground against the earth. Terrified, a startling realization reached her mind; if he didn't stop soon, she might die. Liara didn't want to die. She wanted to live. More than anything else.

"Stop struggling." Naruto's figure stepped into her blurring vision, his blue eyes dominating her gaze. "You're only making it worse."

"I-

Snarling, the hyrbid seized her by the jaw, forcing her to meet his gaze. He spoke slowly and clearly, enunciating every word.

_"Stop struggling."_

Finally, she realized the futility of her efforts. It was her own struggling that tightened the noose around her neck; not any action by the blond.

Liara complied; ceasing her struggle against the invisible tied that bound. Just like that they dropped away, leaving her gasping and sputtering for breath. She collapsed forward, falling onto her hands and knees, trying and failing to hide her own weakeness.

"I am sorry." His apology caught her flat-footed; she hadn't been expecting him to seek her forgiveness. "I...did not mean to hurt you."

Liara looked him in the eye, and suddenly, she was reminded of the beast lurking within. She couldn't help it; she flinched aside. Naruto watched her, his expression stoic. When at last she raised her gaze, those steely sapphire eyes were more akin to winter ice than the afternoon skies for which they were so well known. For a moment-just a moment-she was reminded of a thresher maw; a terrifying creature that emerged from the soil to strike when one least expected it. In many ways Naruto was worse than a thresher. He could kill her with merely a thought; goddess knew she'd given him reason enough to.

"You fear me." It was not a question.

"I-yes." Looking into those soulful blue orbs, Liara could not bring herself to lie. She was absolutely terrified of him. She expected arrogance and scorn for her answer. Derision and disgust in recompense for her bout of cowardice. What she received was something else altogether; because Naruto smiled at her. It was a sad, lonely little thing, that smile, an expression that said "I am a mon ster; it is only natural I be feared as one" and it stirred such sympahty in her that the asari wanted to weep.

The hybrid sighed, covering his face with a gauntleted hand.

"Hold still." he muttered into a glove.

Liara blinked.

"I beg your pardon?"

_"Hold still."_ Naruto raised his right hand, a faint green glow stemming from those gloved fingertips. Before the asari could think to protest, before she could even consider the possibility of refusing his aid, the hybrid did the inexplicable. He laid said hand upon her shouldersand squeezed. _Hard._ Liara gasped in surprise; gasped as she felt her torn tendons tie themselves together, her fractured bones molding and mending in the span of an instant as the green glow diffused throughout her form. Her rational mind sought to compar the proccess to that of medi-gel; in her heart, she knew there could be no such comparison.

Within the span of two beats, the minor injuries he'd inflicted upon her had simply ceased to exist.

Naruto drew his fingers away and nearly formed a fist, his expression stradling the line between sympahty and scorn. At last he seemed to think better of it, his arm falling uselessly to his side. He reached down for her, grabbed her by the wrist, hauled Liara to her feet.

"It is alright to fear me, you know." he said at length.

"W-What?"

"There will always be fear." Naruto replied, turning to face the burning orb that was Palaven. "Without fear there is nothing to conquer. With nothing to conquer there is no strength. With no strength, you cannot protect that which is precious to you." His words grew in passion as he spoke, drawing Liara in, ensorcellling her. "If you cannot protect that which you consider precious...then tell me, why do you live, asari?" He turned to face her at last, pinnioning her on his burning gaze. "If not to protect that which you hold dear, if not to safeguard all those you care for, then what, I ask you, is your purpose in life?"

His words were like roots, tying her down, binding her to the rocky soil of the moon, forcing her to face her greatest fear. What did she fight for? What were they all fighting for? Shepard, fought to keep the galaxy free from the reapers and she followed him, true, but for _what_ did she fight? For whom? She couldn't claim to have any close ties with Thessia beyond loyalty to her people; beyond that, nothing. Was there anyone she held near and dear in her heart? Someone she'd be willing to lay her life down for? For her friends, of course, but she fought for...for...

"Because its the right thing to do." the words escaped her lips before she could bite them back; they were the first thought of her head. Apparently they intrigued the alien. He leaned forward with intent, grabbing her jacket at the shoulders, holding her fast. Liara could feel his fingers through the fabric, biting down with such strength she was certain he'd leave bruises. A small _'eep_ fled from her lips as her back greeted the nearby bulkhead, preventing her from fleeing. She tried to squirm away from Naruto, but to no avail; he merely moved his arm into her path, blocking her avenue of escape with his body.

"W-What're you-

_"Liar."_ He accused, his words sharper than any blade. "You claim to fight, because it is 'right,' but what do you know of right and wrong? Nothing. No, you have no purpose. You fight because it is all you know, all you can do, and because, deep down, you enjoy it. Yet, you are ashamed to admit this. I can accept that." Naruto chortled bitterly. "You remind me of my former mate." his breath was warm against her face, tantalizingly close, now, teasing her with its proximity. So close. Too close! Liara's cheeks burned bright violet, yet try as she might, she couldn't bring herself to break away from him; nor could she tear her gaze aside from those sinister scarlet orbs. She was suddenly aware of everything in her surroundings; the gattle of gunfire, the scent of smoke, the taste of blood upon her lips. But, most prevalent, was, the sensation of his arm, reaching around to cup her by the waist, drawing her body close to his. Her free hand reached up to cup a whiskered cheek and he hers, and that was that; she was lost, her mind cast adrift in a swirl of emotion stemming out of the blond like a raging whirlpool.

There was no point in resisting the flow; Liara knew it would easier just to give in; to allow herself to be swept up, content to ride the current wherever it took her. But she was nothing if not stubborn. She refused. She would not give into these feelings in the middle of the mission, in enemy-infested territory with husks abound and...and...and...goddess! She gasped, going weak in the knees, as another wave of alien emotion coursed through her mind, stemming from Naruto like a universal beacon. Countless images flickered before her mind, frantics flashes of life and death and life again until she couldn't make sense of either.

"If you need a reason to fight, I'll gladly give you one," he whispered, his words prickling her skin in gooseflesh. His fingers brushed across her cheek for a final time. Unbidden, the memory of their first kiss or 'mucosal contact' as Naruto called it, stirred in her mind. He claimed this was how his kind imparted information; that they shared their emotions through touch. Was he merely imparting information to her now, or, was this kissi signifying of something deeper? She had no way of knowing. And still, she fought him.

"I don't...need a reason...

"Perhaps I understimated you, asa-no." Naruto admitted, then paused, correcting himself._ "Liara T'soni."_ his lips drew up in a smile as they brushed against hers in a feather's touch; soft and stirring, shivers of delight shooting down her spine. Her mind exploded into white as her arms took control, spreading themselves across his back. She was so completely taken aback by his kiss that she hardly noticed when his left hand began to cup her firm ass and his right palm took up residence on her jaw. He deepened the kiss as he pressed his body against hers, pushing her back against the nearest wall. Her hands were just as explorative, her nimble fingertips running along his armored chest and stomach.

And then it was done.

Naruto stepped backwards, leaving her gasping and sputtering for breath. Emotion lingered, leaving her feeling deprived and confused.

"I told you," Naruto paused to wipe his mouth. "This is how my kind imparts emotion." He arched an eyebrow. "Do you understand now, T'soni? Have I given you reason enough to fight?" Liara balked at his words; had he expected her to make sense of that jumble of images; that twisted tangle of emotion? Her head ached at the thought of it, still struggling to connect the dots.

Naruto turned, raising a fist in defiance towards the flaming planet of Palaven.

"Liara."

Somehow when he spoke her name, Liara couldn't help herself; she shivered. It was as if he were saying _mine._ As if he'd claimed her somehow. Naruto turned towards her for a final time, and for the first time since she had met him, Liara thought she saw genuine mirth in his features.

"Listen, no one _chooses_ misery. It just happens. But it is necessary, because strength comes not from embracing misery, as you have been, but from fighting and overcoming it. You say that it's better to trust no one so that you can't get hurt - that's what I thought. You may have changed my mind, T'soni." He opened his hands and faced the comm tower, a slow, sinister smile spreading across his whiskered face. "I suppose I will thank you for this. You've helped me blow of some much needed steam. I suppose it is as they say..."

That was when she saw them; the husks, countless human corpses swarming over the tower. Wait. Liara balked as Naruto stalked forward, lengthening his stride with every step, drawing closer and closer to the horde of husks with each passing seond. He couldn't. He wouldn't!

Naruto laughed and flung himself forward at them, biotics blazing around him in a sea of screa mingscarlet.

"The brave do not live long, but the cautious do not live at all!"

It was not until sometime later as she joined him, that Liara realized it:

_She was laughing as well._

**A/N: Naruto is part of a race of bio-engineered beings, nine in total. He's obviously the strongest! **

**So, in the immortal words of Atlas...**

**...would you kindly review? And of course, enjoy the preview!**

**(Possible preview)**

"What could've possibly destroyed your species?"

The blond bristled.

Naruto gave Liara a good long look. In the end, he uttered two words.

"Orbital. Bombardment."

_"Master!" A voice cried. "My master!"_

_Naruto froze in midstep, rooted by those words. Scarce had he done so than a blazing blur struck him, bowling him backwards, head over heels._

_"What in the nine circles of-_

_Naruto balked, balked as a flaxen-haired girl flung herself at him from out of nowhere; bodily cleaving against him, arms wrapping around his neck. In sharp contrast to his nine tails of sinister scarlet, she bore a mere two; twining tails of azure fur; the colors mirroring that of the blue ears poking out of her hair. If Naruto was a fox, then this woman was almost certainly...a cat! She nuzzled her head into the whiskered blonde's neck, purring softly like a contented kitten. Her cream colored armour was contoured to her every curve, fitting flawlessly against her ample body, cleaved now against her fellow blond as though the very act of separation was painful._

_Before anyone could think to stop her, she stood on her tiptoes and pressed her lips flush to his. There was a silence. Then:_

_"Y-Yugito?!" Naruto guffawed, his stony facade shattering._

_"Moh, master!" She chided, wagging a reproaching finger before the blonde's face. "Do you have any idea how long it took for me to wake up on Illos?!" She crossed both arms before her bosom, sullen. "Too long! Way too long!"_

_Javik offered a mute shrug._

_"I was unaware she yet lived."_

_Liara's left eye twitched._

_"Would someone mind explaining this?!"_

**Hope you enjoyed it and hope you liked the role-reversal between Naruto and Yugito, a kitten and fox, eh? A little jealous there, eh, Liara? R&R! =D**


	5. SpEcIeS

**A/N: Whassup peoplz! I hope you're all enjoying this updating spree as much as I am! As I'm sure you're well aware, most of the updates have concerned my mass effect stories-and this one is no exception. I don't know why but for some indefatigable reason, I've just gotten back into it. And tbh, I'm loving every minute of it! Writing is truly a passion of mine, and I'm glad to see that all of ya'll have been enjoying back to the story. The preview hinted at a rather interesting event this chapter, one I'm sure you're all looking forward to just as much as I am. And on that note...**

**...here you go!**

_"It takes only one candle to light a fire. And then the darkness is no more."_

_~?_

**Species**

For all their numbers, the husks fell it swift succession. Be it by blade or bullet, tail or tower, or fist and foot, the human corpses swiftly proved no match for the combined might of Naruto and Liara. It was cathartic, he thought. Especially given the circumstances. Sharing the battlefield with a fellow biotic was one thing. He'd fought alongside Javik so many times as to make it second nature. Sharing it with an Asari was another. Liara was not a Prothean. Nay...she didn't even move like one. She was better. Perhaps it was because she was a born biotic. Perhaps it was the bloodlust. Perhaps it even had something to do with this residual attraction he was beginning to feel for the lithe blue woman. She wasn't as weak as he'd first thought. He no longer even considered her a primitive. She might even make a fine mate...

Whatever the case, Naruto found himself admiring her propensity for destruction.

His best description, the closest thing to which he could compare her, would be a force of nature. A dancing goddess of death; wherever she alighted, the enemy ended. An azure cataclysm that brought only destruction to her enemies Naruto could see the symbolism in it.

So too, could Liara; if she was a goddess of death then Naruto was a god of _war._

The hybrid made no move to evade his foes, he simply tore right through them, whomever they might be. Be they husk or marauder, or even some of the larger reaper units now known as Brutes, it did not matter. He was just that. War, in its purest form. He thrived from the conflict, throwing himself against his foes within reckless abandon. Whatever his hands and feet could not reach, his nine tails swiftly made short work of. And whatever lurked just beyond his grasp swiftly found itself pulped to pieces by his unstoppable biotic prowess. No quarter asked; none given.

_"He was born to be superior."_

Now as she watched the blonde wrestle with one such Brute, Liara T'soni finally understood Javik's words. Naruto was indeed superior, despite the overwhelming strength of his adversary, _he_ didn't even bat an eyelash at the his soon-to-be prey. A subtle tug of his wrist sent the creature flying forward and over the shoulder. He hadn't even used his Biotics. Or his tails. Only raw power. But the Brute was nothing if not tenacious, even as she realized it was down, so too was it back up again, not roaring its fury as before but...silent. Not rushing, but creeping back towards him, lurking just beyond the shadow of his peripheals.

It didn't take much to realize why; Naruto had since turned his attention elsewhere, ruthlessly dismembering a pair of husks. She tried to shout out a warning, but a trio of marauders cut her sentence short, forcing her attention to diver for a handful of heartbeats lest she lose her head. Scarce had she done so than there came the _snap_ of broken bone. Against her better judgements, the asari risked a glance over her shoulder, just in time to see the Brute pounce, see its massive claw close around the blonde's armored arm and squeeze. _Hard._

The blonde's roar of pain was the most painful thing she'd ever heard.

"Na-!"

Naruto spun around quickly, slamming his good fist deep into the Brute's chest with enough force to shatter the soil itself. With a surprised grunt the darkskinned creature went flying across the surface of the moon, a trail of dark blood following its body through the falling debris. Liara's breath caught in hr ethroat and she found that her legs refused to move. She watched, as the limp body slammed against the cratered earth, once gravity took hold of it, its skin skidding across the moon as the momentum continued to drag it over the terrain. Her feet were suddenly free from the ground as her boots clogs carried her over to the irritated hybrid a split second later, her face pinched with worry.

"Are you alright?"

The blond said nothing; he merely regarding his broken arm with something akin to disdain.

"I will be." he said at last." Before she could ask what he meant, he reached down and showed her his arm. Frowning, the asari returned her attention to the sundered appendage...and felt her mouth open in a round O of silent exclamation. Well...this was new. In the split second that she had taken her eyes off it, his wound had healed. Oh, there were still dents within the armor, but the limb was whole and untouched as though he'd never sustained an injury to begin with.

"I was bred for this very purpose." he explained to her, sounding for all intensive purposes like a teacher lecturing their recalcitrant student. "My body will heal from any injury save decapitation."

Once again, that word summoned up more questions than answers. _Bred._ Had the Protheans created Naruto's race? Cloned them? Or, were they simply another member of the Prothean Empire? So many questions, too few answers. She remembered Naruto saying something about his tails indicating the maximum number of mates he could have in any one cycle. So many inquiries-!

_"Liara!"_

Those thoughts ended abruptly as Naruto's hand closed around her wrist and yanked forwards, pulling her to him in the blink of an eye. T'soni felt him shudder, his broad back spasming as he bodily intercepted a volley of shots that would've ripped right through her shields and pierced her skull. His nine tails lanced backward from whence the shots had come, ending the unfortunate marauder in the blink of an eye. And still he did not release her; she could hear his heart hammering through his armor, like the drums of a great hunt out for her blood. As she listened, she thought she heard it skip a beat.

Naruto...

He'd defended her so easily, it had been almost effortless, casual even.

"Why...?"

Naruto calmly raised his head and smiled, revealing a thin line of blood trickling forth from his lips. He'd been hurt. Those shots had ripped right through his shields, through him, instead of her. Regeneration or not, he had willing taken a bullet for her. Several bullets, in fact. She could see the wounds closing even from here, the bullets had barely been stopped by his flesh. She shivered at the thought of what might've happened had he not taken those shots for her. She would've been dead. Plain and simple. And yet, despite knowing he might die, Naruto had still protected her. In that instant the blond seemed more human to her than he'd ever been. And then he had to open his mouth and ruin everything.

"It is only natural that I would protect my mate."

"Your..._mate...?"_

"Indeed." Naruto nodded. "I have given the matter some consideration since we last spoke." she repressed a not-unpleasant shiver as he raised an armored hand to cup her cheek, the thick digits cupping her face with an infinite gentleness. As though the slightest effort on his part might shatter. "I admit, despite what I have said I do find myself...inclined towards you."

_'Did he just say what I think he said?'_

Now, Liara wasn't the same naive asari as she'd been three years ago. She knew full well what he was talking about. She knew full well what he was saying, what he was suggesting. Even so, despite all she'd suffered through these last three years, she found herself momentarily gobsmacked by his words. Only a day before he'd dismissed her out of hand. He'd kissed her twice since then and now he was claiming her? _As his mate?_ This was ridiculous! Absurd! And yet...rather charming. Her heart was equal parts indigant and amused by his declaration; she didn't know what to make of it.

"I am saying we would make beautiful children together." he continued, mistaking her silence for hesitation.

"Yes, I understand that." her glare was scathing, despite the tender image his words evoked, one of them surrounded by little blue children. "But you can't just claim me as your mate." she folded both arms before her jacket for emphasis, refusing to wilt beneath the heat of his gaze.

"Can't I?"

_"You can't."_ her deadpann was scarcely concealed. "I don't know how things worked in your cycle, but I barely even know you."

Naruto seemed to consider this for a moment. Then he nodded.

"Very well." he conceded. "What would you have me do, then, Liara T'soni?"

Liara was taken aback by that.

_'Goddess,'_ she realized, _he's really serious about this, isn't he?'_

Now that all was said and done, now that the battle haze had finally faded, they were left with a small mountain of corpses. Though the battle still raged upon Palaven's moon, the nearest conflict was at least more than a few miles from them. It felt like she had all the time in the world in which to consider his request. What would she have him do indeed? At last, she came to a decision. Naruto, was prideful. Incredibly so. He held both himself and his abilities in high regard. Whether he'd been like this all along, or if his demeanor was a more recent change, she knew not. But if he really claimed to have feelings for her, then would he be willing to set that pride aside and resort to more...mundane means? Liara decided to have to a look for herself.

"You'd have to at least take me on a date, first." There. She'd thrown down the gauntlet. Now it remained to be seen whether or not he would don it.

Naruto stared at her for a long, long time. Finally, he spoke.

_"What the hell is a date?"_

If there hadn't been a war going on, Liara would've facepalmed.

"I'll...tell you once we get back on the Normandy."

"Acceptable." To her surprise, Naruto nodded. "Perhaps you should repair the tower, then." he suggested, a slight smile tugging at his lips. "I confess, I have no experience with technology."

"I...ah...yes." she sputtered, indignant. Why did she suddenly feel like the villain here?! "I'll get right on that." And so she did.

But even then, she wasn't quite able to dismiss the idea from her head. Little blue children.

_Children..._

* * *

><p>With the comm tower operational, she soon found the blond a great deal more amicable. He wasn't exactly chatty on their return to base, but then again, neither was he the cold entity which she'd come to know. When he decided to stop and obliterate nearly <em>every<em> reaper they encountered, Liara began to realize they wouldn't be reaching the camp anytime soon in the foreseeable future. She conveyed as much to Shepard over her omni-tool as the hybrid finished off yet another of the mighty synthetics.

_"Roger."_ Remarkably, the commander took in stride. _"Garrus, Javik, and I will find the primarch. Try to keep Naruto out of trouble."_

"Garrus is with you?" Knowing their old friend still lived sent a pleasant flush through Liara's face.

_"Been awhile, Liara." _The turian's throaty voice greeted her. _"I hear we have an interesting...ally."_

"You might say that." she risked a glance back toward the mighty kitsune, watching it shrink and resume human form. "You'll probably like him; he seems to have a flair for the dramatic."

An amused chortle greeted her verbiose attempt at a joke. _"I take it he's the giant foxon the horizon , then?"_

"You don't sound surprised."

_"Liara, I fought a human reaper with Shepard. Up close and personal. Nothing I see surprises me anymore. But at any rate, take care of yourself. Wouldn't want you getting squashed by our new friend."_

"You as well." With a shake of the head, she deactivated her omnitool. Typical Garrus. Always making light of the situation. Idly, she wondered how the quirky turian would react to meet Naruto "up close and personal" as he'd so delicately put it...

"I take it the Commander approves of our diversion?"

The asari craned her neck, momentarily alarmed to find the blond peering over her shoulder, garbed in his armor once more. Behind him lay the smoldering wrecks of not one, not two, but three reapers. And all he had to show for it was a nasty burn on his jaw but for every second she looked at it the scorched skin became fresh and pink-until it had finally regained proper pigmentation and color once more. He really could regenerate from just about anything, couldn't he? A frown creased her brow when she realized he wasn't moving, his crimson tails coiling sensually around her body.

"Do you mind?" Liara didn't need telempathy to sense the emotion roiling off him,

"Not all." his breath was warm upon the nape of her neck.

"Naruto, now is not the time."

She held her breath for a long moment, hoping he would listen. At last, he did. But not before leaving a lingering kiss on her cheek that threatened to leave ehr weak in the knees. Damn him! For all her restraint, he did know how to break down her walls with ease...

"What could've possibly destroyed your species, at any rate?" the question slipped out before she could hope to stop it.

The blond bristled, all his humor draining away in an instant. He gave Liara a long, hard look. In the end, he uttered two words.

"Orbital. Bombardment." His voice was like an amplified whisper—if a knife could talk, this would be what it sounded like. He pointed one finger at a distant Reaper, the hulking synthetic yet unaware of them. "The reapers were wiser than we gave them credit for, eventually came to realize that they could not defeat my kind and myself in pitched combat. Understanding this, they glassed my planet from orbit. There were ten surviors at the time, including myself. Whether by accident or miracle we were all offplanet at the time; it was decided by the strongest of us that we would abandon our world and ally ourselves with the Protheans shortly thereafter."

That baffled Liara. Naruto had always claimed to be the strongest of his race. And yet there was someone stronger than him?

"He bore ten tails to my nine." As if sensing her confusion, Naruto continued his explanation. "He was the greatest of us...and the first to fall."

"What happened to him?"

"Indoctrination." Naruto shivered, as though relieving an awful memory. "He fought the Reapers on the front lines so frequently, that his mind eventually succcumbed to their infernal corruption. My comrades and I were forced to kill him when he turned on us. Many of us died. We became separated after that. Disjointed. Some chose to die in battle on faroff worlds. Others went into stasis on Illos. As for myself...I believe you already know that story." he offered her a grim smile at that, a broken rictus that did nothing to hide the sorrow he felt as the last of his people. "Perhaps I could go into further detail about the Biju, about my race, but I see no point. As far as I've learned I am all that remains."

"Biju?" that familiar pit came to settle in her stomach. "Javik didn't mention those."

"It is what I am." Naruto replied, his armored shoulders rolling in a heavy shrug as he turned away. "But, what does it matter? We are dead now. Besides that, I find myself growing angry" Already, his gaze had settled upon the next reaper, his next victim. "I will aid you and the Shepard in your fight until my last breath. It is all I can do-

_Tching!_

When that reaper inexplicably exploded, both Biju and Asari blinked. There was no sudden sundering of ground, no cataclysmic explosion. It simply ceased to be, its body falling apart in a shower of broken metal and all but smoldering circuits. As though something had scorched its shell from the inside out. Naruto and Liara exchanged a long glance. Eventually, the blonde raised his shoulders in a simple shrug.

"I had nothing to do with that." he said, striding past her. "Perhaps it lacked in maintenance-

"Master!" A voice cried. _"My master!"_

Naruto froze in midstep, rooted by those words, looking as though he'd seen a ghost. Slowly, dreading what he might find lurking there, he began to turn in the direction of the destroyed Reaper. Scarce had he done so than a blazing blur of azure struck him from behind, bowling him backwards, head over heels and into the dirt. The motion might've been more comical, had not Liara drawn her pistol and fired. Naruto's attacker jerked up and backward, swatting the bullet out of the air with unseen force, striking the weapon from the asari's hand with a flick of her heel.

"Goddess!" balking, she drew upon her biotics, seeking to crush their fast-moving assailant-

"Stand down!" Naruto barked, the octave of his voice sending a silent jolt of fear down her spine._ "Stand down!"_

Liara was left there to balk, _balk_ as a flaxen-haired girl flung herself at Naruto from out of nowhere; bodily cleaving against him, arms wrapping around his neck in an inescapable noose. In sharp contrast to his nine tails of sinister scarlet, she bore a mere two; twining tails of azure fur; the colors mirroring that of the blue ears poking out of her hair. If Naruto was a fox, then this woman, was almost surely, certainly...a cat! She nuzzled her head into the whiskered blonde's neck, purring softly like a contented kitten. Liara shared his sentiment.

Her cream colored armour was contoured to her every curve-fitting flawlessly against her ample body-cleaved now against her fellow blond as though the very act of separation would prove painful. Before anyone could think to stop her, she stood on her tiptoes and pressed her lips flush to his. There was a silence as she pulled away. Then:

"Y-Yugito?!" Naruto gawped, his stony facade shattering.

"Moh, master!" She chided, wagging a reproaching finger before the blonde's face. "Do you have any idea how long it took for me to wake up on Illos?!" She crossed both arms before her bosom, sullen. "Too long! Way too long! If someone hadn't restarted the power and awoken me, I'd be dead!"

Liara bristled, her mind awhirl with possibilities. Several of which weren't remotely possible. The VI on Illos had shut itself down for lack of power. For someone to have restarted it and breathed life back into one of the pods...was woririsome. That also meant that said someone had been able to access it, and the command signal without frying the pod's occupant also bespoke to some knowledge of the Protheans. Cerberus, then? She was liking this less and less the more she thought of it, the more suspicious she became.

"You were on Illos?"

The now-named Yugito nodded emphatically, she seemed full of boundless energy.

Liara's left eye twitched with barely contained anger. She was barely even aware of Shepard's voice in her headset-of the commander declaring that they'd retrieved the soon-to-be Primarch Adrien Victus and were now enroute to the Normandy. All that remained was a great deal of confusion, and perhaps just a touch of anger. She'd felt as though she'd grown relatively close to the blond during their short conversations together-for a random stranger to literally "drop in" and kiss him was more than just a minor irritant. It actually made her...upset.

"Would someone mind explaining this?"

Naruto offered a mute shrug, his happy countenance unaltered in the slightestest.

"I was unaware she yet lived."

"Not you." the asari shook her head, refusing to lose her cool._ "You."_ she thrust a long finger at Yugito. "How is that you're still alive?"

Yugito paused, her playful countenance all but vanishing the moment she laid eyes upon Liara.

"Who's the bitch?" she asked.

"WHAT?!"

Naruto groaned. He had the succint feeling...

_...that this was going to be a veeeeeery long cycle for him._

**A/N: Well, there ya go! Naruto and Liara on a date. Can anyone picture that? Even _this_ Naruto has no idea what she's talking about. I can just imagine how humorously awkard its going to be. And now we've gone and thrown Yugito into the mix. What a bombshell! In both terms of the word. And now, we're finally off Palaven. The story will be moving swiftly now-we head to the Citadel next chapter and see utter chaos as Naruto and Javik, and Yugito adapt to a world tha thas moved on without them.**

** Shepard gets his precious Ash back, Naruto and Liara get their 'date' and the galaxy continues to wait with bated breath as the Reapers close in. Expect the next chapter to be epic.**

**So...in the immortal and immoral words of Altas...**

**...Review, Would you kindly? And of course, enjoy the preview!**

**(Preview)**

_Naruto exed the tuxedo balefully, as though he expected the garment to sprout fangs and bite him. Who would wear such a thing? What purpose did it serve? When did have to wear it? Where was the armored platings, did those sleeves serve a purpose, to cool his arms or warm them? And why, why why why why WHY in the name of the nine was he resigning himself to such a maudlin task as this?! It was already bad enough that he had consented to such an activity, but to have two women on either arm-Yugito and Liara-whilst wearing such frivlous clothing was just...too much._

_ At last, he spoke._

_"Shepard...there's just no way I'm going to wear this."_

_"Not even for Liara?" One look at John Shepard told him his commander was enjoying this a great deal more than he should, and not just because of the blonde's promise to heal his own beloved. They would get to that soon enough. What bothered him-infuriated him-was thus: the fact that it was apparently commonplace for organics to forgo all semblance of armours or weaponry while on a "date" as the asari had called it. Said attire apparently included formal clothing, especially when one intended to visit a high-class, well established eatery. Somewhere back on the Normandy, he could've sworn he heard Javik laughing._

_Snarling, the blond tore the tuxedo to pieces. _

_"NOT EVEN FOR HER! OR YUGITO, EITHER!"_

**R&R=D**


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